Abstract: An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in a hydroponic growing system is described. The apparatus include a frame of vertical members and horizontal members supporting horizontal tracks or guideways on which a set of growing vehicles are mounted. The growing vehicles each contain a number of growing trays in which plants or crops are accommodated whilst they grow. The apparatus is located within a high care facility within the hydroponic growing system.

Abstract: A production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects includes at least one breeding surface used for breeding insects and laying out feed for the insects. An underfloor feed heating and/or cooling system with a closed flow of heating-cooling medium is used for heating/cooling the feed on the breeding surface. A method for breeding insects uses such a production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects. Another method for breeding insects lays out feed on the breeding surface and uses an underfloor feed heating and/or cooling system to heat and/or cool the feed. Such a method uses a heated production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects. The heated production surface features an electrical underfloor feed heating system.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow tower mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration assembly is positioned within a root chamber and includes a nozzle support frame mounted at a top of the root chamber, the nozzle support frame comprising a plurality of support arms, at least one of the plurality of support arms being off-axis relative to the central axis of the grow tower, an upper nozzle mounted to the nozzle support frame proximate a top of the root chamber, a lower nozzle mounted to the nozzle support frame proximate a bottom of the root chamber, and a water supply for supplying a flow of fluid to at least one of the upper nozzle or the lower nozzle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods for separation of non-adult insects, such as pupae or larvae, according to sexual dimorphisms or developmental stages that can affect their size.

Abstract: A fluid routing system for use in an indoor grow facility includes a plurality of supply lines, and a plurality of frames aligned in series and spaced apart from each other. Each of the frames includes a plurality of support openings. Each of the support openings is sized to receive and retain a corresponding one of the supply lines.

Abstract: An animal storage and transportation device with an upper enclosure having a floor, a set of supports which elevate the upper enclosure above a horizontal surface, and a primary hole placed within the floor. One or more small animals within the upper enclosure are gravity fed into a transport container via a connection assembly positioned within the primary hole and attached to the floor and an aperture closing mechanism positioned underneath the primary hole which is adapted to open an aperture through which the small animals are transferred.

Abstract: Fish attractor and escape habitat systems are disclosed. The fish attractor and escape habitat systems include a pyramid-shaped base structure having a plurality of side walls forming an interior space and having an open bottom and an open top, where the side walls include elongated slots for fish to swim into and out of the interior space and brace slots for receiving braces that provide shade for the fish. Spawning devices and conservation systems for fish forage growth are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hog or swine feeder includes one or more stations for serving a single hog at a time. Each station includes a bowl, with a feed dispenser above the bowl, and a water dispenser below the feed dispenser. The feed and the water dispensers are actuated by the hog on demand. A hopper in the feeder supplies dry feed to the feed dispenser. The hog can select dry feed, wet feed, or drinking water, as needed.

Abstract: Continuous insect-based biowaste processing apparatus has a tubular drum; a drive for rotatably driving the drum; a shaftless screw conveyor fixedly connected to an inner surface of the drum; circumferentially spaced cantilevered blades that (a) are connected to the inner drum surface and (b) each longitudinally extends throughout the drum; and a mechanism for introducing a conglomerate portion that includes biowaste and insect larvae into the drum interior. The screw conveyor is subdivided into longitudinally spaced chambers for the introduced insect larvae, each of the chambers being defined by two adjacent flights of the screw conveyor and by the blades. The size of the insect larvae progressively increases within a more distally located rearing chamber. Two or more blades firmly hold and unify the conglomerate portion throughout its residing time within the drum interior while being distally conveyed.

Abstract: A fixing structure for a flower combination includes a container accommodated in a top of a flower vase. The container includes multiple stop tabs configured to contact with the container in the opening of the top of the flower pot, multiple spaced partitions formed in the container and having different shapes and sizes, and multiple accommodation grooves defined beside the multiple spaced partitions and having different depths, thus fixing multiple potted plants in different heights. A respective one accommodation groove has multiple cylindrical columns extending from a bottom thereof, and a respective one cylindrical column includes an orifice which has a flat section formed on a distal end of the orifice, such that a respective one of multiple positioning stems is received in the orifice of the respective one cylindrical column of the respective one accommodation groove of the container securely.

Abstract: An inter-row machine, of the type used to work laterally to the travel path of the tractor by which it is towed or pushed, during the treatment of the land in espalier orchards or vineyards, having one or two working units, each preceded by a probe element which actuates, at each obstacle to be avoided, a known (hydraulic, pneumatic or electric) device for movement transversely to the travel path and to the row. The encounter of each probe with the obstacle to be avoided causes the rotation of the tool of the corresponding working unit—so that the translation of the latter, which is transverse to the travel path of the tractor, is directly proportional to the angular displacement performed by the tool and reported by an electromagnetic sensor to the electronic controller of the machine.

Abstract: Aeration and drying of subsurface soils with a subsurface irrigation system. An air inlet and bypass pressure regulator allow pressurized gas to be introduced into a zone of the system to aerate and dry a field. Pressurized gas or aerosolized agrochemicals are delivered through emitters integrated into the driplines within the system. Emitters integrated into the driplines allow aeration and drying of subsurface soils during times of season when high amounts of precipitation or localized flooding interfere with the systems use for irrigation.

Abstract: An insect breeding system (1) for the breeding of insect larvae, comprising a multitude of similar, stackable crates (20, 30, 40), a climate housing (2), and crate stacking equipment (3), wherein the multitude of similar, stackable crates each have a same width (D1), a same length (D2), a same corner structure (4) that comprises complementary lower elements (5) and upper elements (6), configured to allow stacking of the crates on top of each other by allowing the upper elements of a lower crate to interact with lower elements of an upper crate, and a containment area (7) defined by the width, the length, and a height of the crate.

Abstract: An insect breeding device comprising at least one insect cage; a bin for holding drinking water or a tap for providing drinking water; a first pipe connected to the tap for receiving the drinking water, wherein the pipe is entering the at least one insect cage through a first opening; a nozzle, coupled to the first pipe, positioned inside the at least one insect cage configured to deliver the drinking water to the interior of the at least one insect cage; and a second pipe, coupled to a second opening, different from the first opening and located in the top wall of the cage or in a side wall of the cage, in the at least one insect cage, configured to deliver conditioned air into the at least one insect cage; and a third pipe, coupled to a third opening, different from the first and second opening and located in the top wall of the cage or in a side wall of the cage opposite to the second opening, in the at least one insect cage, configured to receive the conditioned air from the at least one insect cage.

Abstract: A door for use with a cage for transporting poultry including a door assembly for mounting the door to the cage which is configured to limit vibration associated with the transporting of poultry in the cage and prevent the unintentional opening of the door.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a grow module that is seated on a turntable that is rotatably mounted within a grow chamber and is rotated by a drive assembly. A position sensing assembly monitors an angular position using two proximity sensors, such as Hall-effect sensors, mounted below the sump at the same circumferential position but at different radial positions. The turntable includes a plurality of proximity indicators, such as magnets, positioned at each of three circumferential positions on the turntable and at different radiuses to define a two-digit binary code corresponding to each of the three circumferential positions that is detectable by the proximity sensors.

Abstract: A plant water pot that automatically provides regular water to a plant and indicates a reduced water level. The plant water pot includes an inner wall that terminates at a lower end of a platform defining a receptacle in communication with an upper opening of the container. An interior volume is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, while the interior volume retains a fluid. Nozzles are disposed about the inner wall and the nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior volume. A pump is disposed within an interior volume and is operably connected to each of the nozzles. An inlet is disposed through the upper wall and the inlet provides access to the interior volume.

Abstract: An electric trimmer has an electric motor and power source, a pair of blade plates, at least one of which is connected to an oscillator mechanism in the electric motor, and a pair of guard plates disposed one on each side of the at least one of the pair of blade plates, the guard plates hosting a matching radial or linear pattern of slots having a uniform spacing, a uniform slot width, the slots breaking out past at least one edge of the guard plates, the guard plates, in assembly, creating a gap space there between. One or more operators may insert branches having buds or flowers thereon through any one of the matching slots in the slot pattern, the branch oriented orthogonal to the blade set with the blade plates oscillating to harvest the buds or flowers within the gap space.

Abstract: A livestock automatic rearing system, including a supporting frame, grooved floor panels, an operating robot, horizontal and longitudinal conveyors. Animals are reared on grooved panels with feces hold in the grooves. The operating robot is programmed to remove feces, clean up floor panels, pick up dead or sick animals and bring all these objects out of the building through a conveyor system. The autonomous operating robot also assists young animal placement, finished animal, and final cleaning and disinfection. With sensors and AI system, the robot provides behavior observation, health diagnosis, early warning, and remote medical treatment. An underfloor environment control system provides better and comforts air with reduced energy. The system will help reduce farmer's labor in an unpleasant environment, improve animal welfare, increate production effectiveness, and reduce biosecurity risk through the elimination contact of humans with animals.